Feds Widen NJ Legislature Probe

The very day Senate President Dick Codey told a TV interviewer the dispute between the Legislature and the U.S. Attorney’s Office involved only one legislator, subpoenaes were served on Codey’s office and those of Speaker Joe Roberts, Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance andAssembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce.

The original investigation apparently centered around Sen. Wayne Bryant of Camden and a job he had at UMDNJ that involved little work. But he did steer millions of dollars to the part of the school that hired him. The Office of Legislative Services is refusing to turn over some documents under federal subpoena, claiming attorney/client privilege. Roberts and Codey have maintained U.S. Attorney Chris Christie had only one lawmaker in his sights. The worst kept secret in Trenton was they meant Bryant. Refusal of OLS to turn over documents to a grand jury have cast Codey and Roberts, as Democrat leaders, in a bad light. Republicans maintain they don’t know who authorized OLS to hire an outside attorney to fight the feds’ subpoena and Democrats refused to call a meeting of the OLS oversight committee to discuss it.

Roberts, Sen. John Adler and Assemblyman Lou Greenwald, all of whom come out of the same Camden County Democrat machine, said they have been interviewed about Bryant, also a part of the Camden County Democrat operation. Bryant was chair of the Senate Budget Committee until he stepped down after the probe started. Bryant also is leaving his law firm and indicated he won’t see re-election. Greenwald is chairman of the Assembly’s budget committee. Adler is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that passes judgment on gubernatorial appointments.

The new subpoenaes, which asked for documents dating back to 2004, suggest Christie is taking a broader look at “Christmas tree” spending, last minute budget additions to aid specific lawmakers’ areas, usually in the form of grants. Every year the Legislature awards millions in state grants in a mostly secret process. Christmas tree spending more than doubled in the past five years, to nearly $350 million. Traditionally, most of the money goes to the party in power in Trenton.

Let’s hear it for Chris Christie who is doing what other U.S. Attorneys didn’t bother with and the politically charged, all but worthless Office of State Attorney General turned a blind eye to for years. May justice prevail this time.

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About Bob Ingle

Bob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption" and "Chris Christie: The Inside Story Of His Rise To Power". He has won numerous journalism awards and is often a news analyst on radio and television. Twitter @ bobingle99.

EMAIL jonathan.dienst@nbc.com(Dienst did the 45-minute WNBC-TV news segment on Torricelli that drove the Senstor from office)

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REFERENCE In order to be criminally charged with being an accessory to a crime, authorities must secure evidence that the individual remained silent upon discovering violation of law.

Evidence must also exist that the accessory committed at least one overt act in furtherance of the principal offense, or that the individual otherwise aided and abetted wrongdoing in such a manner as to prevent the apprehension, trial or punishment of a wrongdoer—perhaps by destroying or witnessing the destruction of documents requested by authorities—or other acts.

TRENTON — Two former Fort Monmouth employees, and the daughter of one, were sentenced in Federal Court today for their roles in a no-show job scam that bilked the government out of nearly $1 million. Michael J. Rzeplinski was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, must serve three years of probation upon release and was ordered to pay $872,710 in restitution.

Connie Davidson was sentenced to 12 months and a day, must also serve three years of probation and was ordered to pay $395,710 in restitution. Her daughter, Kirsten Davidson, was sentenced to 18 months and must also serve three years probation and was ordered to pay $290,647 in restitution.

Rzeplinski and the Davidsons — all of Red Bank — appeared before Judge Garrett E. Brown Jr. to be sentenced for their roles in a three-year scam that siphoned $990,210 through government contracts with information technology companies that do business with the Army post.

Brown said this was “a particularly disturbing and serious pattern of crime that shakes the faith in government.” He added that such “blatantly corrupt crimes demand the most serious of punishments.”

For his part, Rzeplinski admitted in Brown’s courtroom in August that he used his position as a program director of the GSA at the fort to arrange two no-show jobs for the younger Davidson, under government contracts with separate companies. Kirsten Davidson has admitted to accepting money — totaling about $283,000 — for work she never did.

Mrb: They haven’t passed that state law to force convicted pols to give up their pensions. Wonder why? Also, it is written to grandfather any crooks convicted before the law takes effect. Wonder why? And the crook would have to give up only the pension tied to the crooked behavior. So if they have six pensions, they would give up the one tied to their crimes and keep the other five. Wonder why? Do you get the feeling someone is looking out for himself rather than the public?

Christie’s new subpoenaes, seeking dating back to 2004, suggest the USAG is taking a broader look at “Christmas tree” spending….tax dollars added to the budget, which are grants to lawmakers pet projects.

“Christmas tree” spending has more than doubled in the past five years, to nearly $350 million tax dollars, in a process kept secret from taxpayers.

REMINDER: Monies that individuals pocket through government fraud, and not reported as income, is tax evasion.

Report tax-fraud to the IRS anonymously: 1-800-829-0433

Some of the Christmas Tree money goes to tax-exempt groups. Misuse of government funds by publicly-funded agencies is government fraud and should be reported to the US Dept of Justice.

It’s time.I think this is all just smoke, and in the end, not much will happen. But this can happen, if the media starts asking.

The Governor said if we didn’t have property tax reform by 1/1/07 he would call for a citizen’s convention.

We’re 7 weeks past that deadline, and the sham property rebate bill isn’t even signed, much less, dual office bans, pay to play bans, wheeling bans, loss of pensions due to criminal behavior, or any of the other reforms promised. All we got was some stinkin’ caps that they can run over, and a comptroller that can’t investigate jack.

As far as I’m concerned, the Governor (who I’ve tried to give the benefit of the doubt) and the Legislature (who I have the utmost contempt for) should be completely ashamed of themselves. I think its time that the citizens of NJ take into their own hands, what the elected representatives have been unable to do. I would encourage everyone out there to e-mail, write a letter to, or call, their Assemblyman, Senator, and especially the Governor, and remind them of the promises they made last year, and to fully support a citizen’s convention, so we can get this mess cleaned up, and move on.

It a massive shame that New Jersey is one of the richest states in the Union, but we’re up to our eyeballs in debt, and future obligated debt. I’m sorry but Codey hoping the Wall Street boys getting big bonuses, so the State can collect more revenue, is not a financial plan, its a copout, and a complete dereliction of responsibility.

Its time for a citizen’s convention. Put that on the November ballot, Mr. Roberts and Mr. Codey…

PS- Selling the toll roads, putting in VLT’s (video lottery terminals) and letting local government raise taxes, AIN’T reform either. It’s just coming up with more excuses to keep the gravy train rolling.

Start cutting workers (the department of secretary of state would be a good start, how about putting THAT on the November ballot?) hammer out a workable and fair Union contract. Get pigs like Codey’s short timin’ brother, out of the pension system. Get a judiciary system elected, and answerable to the CITIZENS, not the folks that put them there. (Zazzali crying about qualified judges not staying in the system. What are there qualifications, cocktail buddies with Adler, Martin et al? Let ‘em quit, the hacks will just replace them with more sycophants)

and the State’s AG office, sheesh, Rabner’s tooling around giving ethics speeches around the State, while the Feds are passing out supeonas at the Statehouse. C’mon Mr. Rabner, lets start earning that paycheck, ok buddy? sheesh…

It’s called public service, someone in Trenton may want to look up the definition of that someday…(ya pinheaded weasels)

I told you back last year, Bob, that Codey was part of the problem, Corislime continues it and Rabner is a facilitator of obfuscation of facts. You wouldn’t believe me. Codey and the slime bucket, McGreedy should have their official portraits hung in a trailer at a landfill. You bought into Corislimes/Codey’s/Rabner’s act. You have much catching up to do. Your credibility as a journalist is truly questionionable with your previous glowing endorsements of these reprobates.

Please check this out and let us know if Christie might be one of the casualties the dems are targeting.Robert D. Novak: Dems go after Attorney General GonzalesBy ROBERT D. NOVAK

Friday, Feb. 16, 2007

House Democrats, led by Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel, are targeting Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the Justice Department under him in a wide-ranging congressional investigation. The point of the Democratic attack is dismissal of seven U.S. attorneys, all involved in probes of public corruption. On Thursday, Emanuel sent Gonzales his second letter demanding the appointment of Carol Lam, fired as U.S. attorney in San Diego, as an outside counsel to continue her pursuit of the Duke Cunningham case. Emanuel’s targeting of Gonzales was accelerated Thursday by a report in The Washington Post that Sue Ellen Wooldridge, while an assistant attorney general, bought an expensive vacation home with oil lobbyist Don R. Duncan. Wooldridge approved rulings that benefited Duncan’s employer, ConocoPhillips.

Nobody wants to see the Governor, AG, or heck, even the President fail. But they get elected, and you hope they do the right thing, and succeed for the best of all. If they don’t is it the writer’s fault?

The late Molly Ivins said that GWB was “all hat, and no cowboy” and that if the father was mediocre, and the son, a lesser man, his whole presidency would be worse. You know what? Molly was right, but the difference between you and her, is that she didn’t gloat about it, and try to claim it as a victory for her insight.

It doesn’t take much cojones to be a pessimist, and to run folks down, then when they do screw up, to state smugly “I knew it was going to happen, and I told you”.

Perhaps you were right, but you lack a certain graciousness that ultimately makes you a highly unlikeable “know it all”. I would hope you conduct your personal affairs and relationships in a much different manner than you present here. Prove me wrong.

Bob I’ll support ya 110% you have kept the pressure on in Trenton ,and for that we can all be thankfull.I have put a lot of my friends on to your column .Gee I’ll even invite you to our summer picnic.Keep up the good work Bob !

Since you are apparently missed my post from last year, I also related then that I knew Codey, McGreedy and Rabner – personally. I did not speak out of a vacuum. Molly Ivins? Apparently you read only selected columns. She castigated Bush regulary. Regarding graciousness, I am at least as gracious as Ingle and certainly more gracious than you. It was Ingle who proclaimed Rabner a white knight, and Codey a “good” man. My recollection of his opinions on Coroslime are that Ingle wished him well, but nothing further. I have never proclaimed my self a “know-it-all”. I do know the three above mentioned political hacks. Apparently, smugness is your forte. In addition, I have absolutely nothing in my personal life to prove to you. Thank you for your concern.

I appreciate your measured response. Obviously no one has all the answers, including the host of this blog. I just took exception to you questioning his journalistic integrity base on his “faith” that some new political appointee would do his job for the good of the public (and sadly enough, it doesn’t appear to be the case)

I guess to case it in football terms, I thought it was “unnecessary roughness” and while certainly the first part of you post is fair, I think your ending couple of sentences went a bit beyond fairness, but that is my opinion.

BTW, did you read the column today?, I’d say he broke out the “whuppin” stick on the Governor again.

Maybe your take on it is different, but I consider Bob to be an advocate of clean, open government, and while not agree with all he writes, or says, I will whole heartedly support him when he rightly takes the government to task due to malfeasance, and dereliction of responsibility and accountability. Again, all in my opinion.

Your response was thoughtful. I do not agree with everything that Ingle writes, but I more agree with him than disagree. IMO, Mr. Ingle knows Codey personally, and this affected his journalistic judgement of him. This is a supposition on my part, not fact. I certainly am not going to ask Ingle what his personal relationship is, or is not, with Codey. There are some politicians I like personally, but are dirt bags as politicians. I’ve told some I wouldn’t vote for them if they were running unopposed (which some do). However, they are charismatic. I do not know if he knows Rabner, Corizine or McGreedy. As I related, I know three of them and know what they are. It was not gloating on my part. It is a sad commentary on how politicians can fool the general population in general, and some journalists in particular. It was with that thought that I addressed my comments before.

And I wish to apologize for the personal shot I took at you. (I think we can agree on skipping the group hug, lol)

As I posted, I have a pretty good idea on who you are based on your old screen name (but I’m just guessing) I think the blog is a bit weaker when you post less. You have interesting thought provoking insights, a good knowledge of how to access resources, and tenacity to follow up and use them. Very admirable. Its’ just that little extra sharp jab of the “elbow” that gets me spun up. Anyhow, again, its great to read your posts, and I look forward to more.(Just don’t get us but on a delayed editorial review again, lol)

About this Blog

Bob Ingle, Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers, on politics in "The Soprano State".

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Debuted October 18, 2010

About the Author

Bob IngleBob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey Newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption." Hear him Fridays at 5 p.m. on www.tommygshow.com radio. twitter.com/bobingle99 E-mail Bob

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"Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power," written by Bob Ingle and Michael Symons, offers the first inside portrait of New Jersey’s governor, who in two years as governor emerged as a national Republican Party figure famous for his blunt public statements. The book details Christie’s combative public persona and deep family roots, tracing his improbable political rise from a bruising stint in county government to his anti-corruption crusade as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power goes behind the scenes to reveal his family life, his public life, and what the future might hold..

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